Soul of Strength

Baron Baptiste

This is roughly equivalent to Bryan Kest’s Energizing workout. The workouts are different, of course, but the intent is the same (energizing). They both move quickly, use lots of strength, and at the end, you feel 10 years younger. I think Bryan’s is a little tougher, but I adore this one just as much. Grade A.
Annie S.
ann.stevenson@att.net
4-27-2002

I was hesitant to try this video at first given that I had seen it rated as "advanced"--although I have been practicing yoga for over two years, I still consider myself to be at an intermediate level at most. While I definitely found this workout to be challenging, as it says on the cover, it really is appropriate for all levels of yoga students. The video would not be appropriate for those completely new to yoga, as it assumes basic familiarity with the poses, both the majority of the poses are accessible to beginners/intermediates, with a few more challenging moves thrown in such as crow and wheel pose. Baron is quite encouraging and completely non-intimidating as he praises his students for working to the best of their abilities.

The workout moves along at a steady pace, but it was much easier to follow than some of the other vinyasa-style workouts I've tried. My one complaint about the video moving too quickly was during the practice of crow pose: Baron offered excellent guidelines for how those new to this pose (like myself) could work their way into it, but he moved so quickly into the next pose that I didn't have the opportunity to practice his suggestions. In other instances, however, I was able to attain some difficult poses that I'd never managed before, such as reverse triangle. This is definitely a rigorous workout that will cause you to work up a sweat; I found that the sun sequences at the beginning of the practice really challenged my endurance, particularly given the frequent repetitions of downward-facing dog held for extended periods. I plan to use this video on days when I want an exciting, energetic yoga practice and want to challenge myself to new levels.

Instructor comments:
Baron Baptiste is an excellent, down-to-earth instructor who moves around the class offering pointers, tips, and modifications to his students. He repeatedly emphasizes the importance of going at your own pace, and he calls out frequent instructions to beginners (e.g. "those new to the class, do this...").

Beth (aka toaster)

December 15, 2003

I am, admittingly, a big Baron Baptiste fan. I love this video for a challenging full body strengthening workout. I also have his Unlocking Athletic Power and this one is similar in intensity but twice as long (55 minutes versus 25 minutes).

This video has it all - Sun Salutations to get you started, warriors 1 and 2 and other variations, triangle and reverse triangle, a balancing series, floor, back, and abdominal work, and even crow (arm balance).

Baron is also good about balancing the sides of the body (I hate it when you do something on one side longer than the other). He also talks you through a variety of modifications - some you can see for yourself, some he just tells you about.

I recommend this one for a challenge ! If you want something shorter, but still like the intensity, give Unlocking Athletic Power a try (lots of great hip work there too).

Instructor comments:
Baron is a very knowledgeable and non intimidating instrucotor. His cuing is straightforward and encouraging.

CJ

December 2005

"Soul Of Strength" live is a very challenging vinyasa flow practice. It's done in a live class setting with great music by Krishna Das. This program very closely follows the sequence laid out in Baron's book "Journey Into Power" with just some slight differences.

Instructor comments:
Baron is a very knowledgeable teacher who has a knack for putting together very challenging, sound practices. I find him to be very motivating and positive to practice with. He's definitely my favorite overall Yoga instructor out there.